Oral Roberts and the Rise of the Prosperity Gospel

Root, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Missouri, debuts with a fascinating biography of pioneering televangelist Oral Roberts. Roberts, one of the 20th century’s most recognizable evangelical figures, left behind a legacy build on three pillars, each of which Root shrewdly analyzes. First, Roberts preached a “prosperity gospel” that linked financial success with divine favor. Early in his ministry, Roberts devised what he called a “Blessing Pact,” which entailed using his weekly salary (and donations from his parishioners) to find a parsonage for his family; the more one gave to Roberts, the message went, the more one would reap God’s financial reward. Secondly, Roberts was an early adopter of televangelism and “institution building,” and devised TV programs that sought to create a “million front seats” to God’s power. (He also founded Oral Roberts University.) Thirdly, Root asserts that Roberts become “corrupted by power,” and nearly went bankrupt in the 1980s as his City of Faith medical center bled money, donations slowed to a trickle, and Roberts begged his TV viewership to give money or God would “call him home.” Root brings Roberts to life as both a charismatic, flawed individual and a figure with deep influence in evangelical history, making for a well-balanced account. This is well worth picking up. (Apr.)